The governors at Stafford Leys have set up a forum for parents/carers to discuss general school related issues. Governors know that parents can have a particular view of how the school works and often have ideas to share which may solve our challenges.Our aim is to create an honest and open environment in which you can express positive or constructive opinions and raise any queries you might have. We will be receptive to any suggestions you might wish to make, as ultimately the aim of the forum is to listen to your ideas or concerns.The parent forum will be run by parent governors and by Mr Kitchen. Parent representatives will be expected to share meeting outcomes with other parents in their child’s class, and this information will also be relayed in the school newsletter.Meetings will take place half termly and will last roughly one hour. Tea and coffee will be provided and younger children will be welcome to use the toys provided by Stay and Play (when meetings are held on Wednesday mornings) . We would like to have a minimum of one parent representative from each class in order to have an equal parent voice from all years.If you would like to join the parent forum, please email us at parentforum@staffordleys.com or let the school office know in writing.Obviously we are unable to deal with anything of a personal nature so if you have an issue which is more specific, we would advise you to speak to your child’s teacher in the first instance or Mr Kitchen.We recognise that many parents work during the school day so if attending a meeting is not possible and you wish to leave a comment then please email the parent forum address any time. Alternatively, you could send a verbal message via a friend or parent governor. Any points received in this way, will be discussed at the next meeting.We look forward to working with you.MeetingsWednesday 11th May 9am Our first meeting was held last term and we welcomed parents from all year groups across the school. General issues we discussed included:

the England football game

security

consequences

open hours

uniform

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 12th October 2016 in the Community lounge at 9am. Issues to be raised will include homework, uniform and general school issues. We hope to see you there! Please email the parent forum address if you would like to attend or have an issue you would like to raise.Wednesday 12th October 2016​Thank you to the parents who attended. Mr Kitchen introduced 2 topics to discuss with parents:

Homework

​A range of concerns were discussed: the amount, deadlines and punishments. Mr Kitchen reinforced that children should not be stressed over homework and would not be punished if they failed to do it. He is keen to improve the situation and recognises the difficulties faced by some parents/children - the possibility of more choices and flexible deadlines is being considered.

Uniform

​Mr Kitchen informed that girls are allowed to wear boots to school provided that they are plain, black and sensible (no Ugg type boots). He clarified that plain navy hoodies are allowed for boys and reinforced that boys' footwear are black shoes.Parents also raised queries on email communication, internet safety, open hours and Christmas decorations day. The next meeting will discuss workshops for parents, the date of which is to be confirmed. If you have a query you would like to raise please remember you can always use the parent forum email address, drop a message into reception, or attend the next meeting - all parents are welcome!Friday 28th April 2017Once again, thank you to the parents who attended. Mr Kitchen asked for feedback on 2 issues:

Email communication

As part of the school's aim to improve communication, Mr Kitchen was keen for feedback on the new parents' evening bookings and emailed letters home. Both were responded to positively by parents, stating that the parents' evening online system was both easy and straightforward.

Open hour in school changing to year group rather than whole school

As part of the school's aim to improve curriculum and parent engagement, the change to the open hour (which was previously open to all year groups on the same day) means that parents are now invited to year group sessions. Again this was met positively, with parents who have children in different year groups commenting that it was better spending the whole time with one child instead of having to split their time.

Parents also brought up the issues of children's health/well being, particularly around the SATs time. Mental health was discussed and Mr Kitchen spoke about Emotional Health support which has been put in place as well as two nurture rooms for children with anxiety issues. Parents are always encouraged to communicate with staff if concerns arise.

Next meeting - TBC

If you have any suggestions about information you would like to see on the school website then please contact Mr Kitchen or Miss Bignell. The information on this website was correct at the time of publishing. We do not accept responsibility for the content of external websites linked to our school website.